MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH

Catholic group calls for cardinal to quit

Protests 'coddling' of pro-choicers at mayoral inauguration

Published: 07/02/2005 at 1:00 AM

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border=0>Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles

A pro-life Catholic group is calling for the resignation of Los Angeles Archbishop Cardinal Roger Mahony after security guards at the city’s main cathedral threatened to arrest students protesting at inauguaration ceremonies held there for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The American Life League said that about a dozen students planned to attend the ceremonies for Villaraigosa — a Catholic who supports abortion rights — and peacefully protest with shirts and signs that read: “You can’t be Catholic and pro-abortion.”

Cathedral security guards blocked the students’ from entering and threatened them with arrest.

“It is an outrage that an event honoring a pro-abortion Catholic public figure that openly supports the killing of the preborn would occur at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral,” said American Life League President Judie Brown. “It is even more shameful that Cardinal Mahony and others would attempt to censor faithful Catholic students from proclaiming the truth.”

The young adults are part of American Life League’s 2005 Crusade for Life walks. The students are trekking from San Diego to Sacramento to spread their message of the incompatibility of being a Catholic and supporting abortion.

American Life League is calling for the immediate resignation of Mahony “in light of his continued defiance of church teaching.”

“His coddling of pro-abortion Catholic public figures in California is beyond reproach and should not be tolerated by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church,” said Brown.

The young activists eventually were allowed inside the cathedral but only after the Los Angeles Police Department intervened.

“How ironic that the cathedral security guards wanted to arrest the students and the LAPD had to step in and point out that such an act would be unconstitutional,” said Brown. “The truths of the church will always stand strong, regardless of who attempts to stifle them. Even a cardinal.”